BOOM – A is for Airlines

The one I’m adopting came from our friend and pastor Dave. He had the idea of the alphabet and linking a blessing to a different letter each day.

Well who would have believed what popped up on Facebook this morning! A photo posted three years ago of some fancy footwork in the sky.

Obvious then what the subject should be Air Travel!

The first memory I have of anyone taking a flight was when I was nine. My Mums brother Hugh who lived in England died and she wanted to go to his funeral. Such was the cost she had to borrow money from another brother Robert to make the trip.

Next time we talked of flying was when a school trip to Switzerland was planned. I was fourteen and the trip cost my Mum and Dad about a months wages but they sent me. We flew to London on British Airways and then to Zürich on Swissair and it was beyond super exciting.

That was just the beginning of many more journeys including a very memorable one that my parents took with me. I was doing my Ph.D at the time and got an award to go to a conference in Amsterdam. My Mum and Dad decided to come too.

We took a puddle hopper from Belfast to Amsterdam. It was the first time in his life that my Dad put foot on a plane and he had that seat belt on so tight he could hardly breathe.

Times have changed so much since the launch of good old Budget airlines like EasyJet and Southwest. Travel is so much more affordable and accessible to many more people. You no longer need to be one of the super rich to think of taking a trip by air. We joke about these airlines sometimes and they even joke about themselves but they do such a great service and have great safety records.

No doubt we each have our favorite airline. Mine happens to combine National Carrier and budget very well. It is good old Aer Lingus.

Their staff are great. Always extra well groomed Stewards in crisp clean uniforms looking as though they really love to serve you.

Whether it’s Champagne from Waterford crystal up front with Irish salmon or a glass of white in row 40 with whatever meal is left on the trolley I feel right at home when the shamrock is on the tail!